Atiqur Rahman

M. Atiqur Rahman (1 September 1931 – 20 December 2023) was a three star general and Bangladesh's chief of army staff from 1986 to 1990. He was the longest-serving director general of the Bangladesh Rifles.

Early life M. Atiqur Rahman was born in Murshidabad. He studied at Union Academy, Delhi, India. His father, Abdur Rahman, was an officer in the Ministry of Defence. After the partition of India, his father was sent to Rawalpindi, where he attended Gordon College, Rawalpindi. He earned his B.Sc. degree from there.

Military career Pakistan Army Atiqur Rahman joined the Pakistan Army on 28 August 1951. He was commissioned from the 9th PMA Long Course on 13 March 1954 in the Pakistan Army's artillery regiment. He was posted to the 20 Heavy Anti Aircraft Artillery Regiment. As a major, he served as the ground testing officer in the Inter Service Selection Board. As a lieutenant colonel, he served as the commanding officer of the 13 LAA Regiment.

Bangladesh Army Rahman could not join the Bangladesh Liberation War, as he was held as a prisoner of war (POW) in West Pakistan. He was repatriated from Pakistan in 1974 and was allowed to join the Bangladesh Army. He was the second repatriated officer to become Bangladesh's chief of army staff after Ershad. On 13 November 1973, he was appointed as the director of the Department of Artillery. On 15 May 1974, he was promoted to the rank of colonel. He was appointed as the first colonel commandant of the Regiment of Artillery.

During the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he was a colonel and was posted as director at Army Headquarters. On 23 October 1975, he was appointed as the commander of the 65th Independent Infantry Brigade. On 19 April 1976, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier. On 17 July, he established the 24th Infantry Division. Later, he was appointed as the quartermaster general at Army Headquarters. On 25 August, he was promoted to the rank of major general.

Rahman served as director general of the Bangladesh Rifles (now the Bangladesh Border Guard) from 1977 to 1982. He played a crucial role in Ershad's bloodless coup in 1982. Later on 25 May 1983, he was appointed as the principal staff officer of Supreme Command Headquarters. Rahman returned to army headquarters for serving as the adjutant general of the army in February 1986.

As chief of army staff Rahman being the senior-most major general, Ershad promoted M Atiqur to the rank of lieutenant general and appointed him as Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army on 1 September 1986. As army chief, he was crucial to the introduction of Bangladeshi military personnel into the UN peacekeeping forces. As the Bangladesh Army was infantry-heavy, he encouraged officers from other corps, such as the Artillery and Signal Corps, to serve in infantry roles in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He later pointed out that this was crucial to the military's later success in the UN peacekeeping forces.